Storm of association is a phrase used for a sudden rush of linked ideas, images, and memories that seem to come together at once in a poet's mind. It suggests inspiration moving quickly from one thought to another, often in a vivid, almost uncontrollable way. Because the phrase is not a firmly established technical term, its meaning can vary with context.
Example
The rain taps the window, and suddenly: the river, my brother's laugh, June apples, train whistles, the blue coat folded in a chair-
thought after thought breaking open at once.